Wolfgang eeindl and alexandee lotsteom



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VOLFGANG REINDL AND ALEXANDER LOTSTROM, OF MENOMINEE, MIOH.

BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,916, dated April 12, 185.7.

Application filed October 23, L886. Serial No. 217,025. (No model.)

a To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WOLFGANG REINDL and ALEXANDER LorsrRoM, citizens of the United States, residing at Menominee, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boots; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Our. invention relates to boots of that class having side stays to prevent the bearing down or wrinkling of the boots at the ankle. Heretofore such stays have been made of leather or metal. The former is objectionable in that, after a short usage, especially if the boot becomes wet, the leather stay willwrinkle and adapt itself to the wrinkles of the boot. metal stay is objectionable in that it is unyielding and will not permit the free movements of the foot in all directions. The elastic re-enforce of stay, which is of peculiar construction and location, is not affected by moisture, and will yield to all the various movements of the foot.

The improvement consists in the novel features hereinafter set forth, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a boot provided with my re-enforce, and Fig. 2 is a section of one side thereof on the line a; x.

The boot A is of usual construction, having the side seam, a, and the counter a.

The re-enforce B, which is made of any suit The able elastic material, such as rubber, is secured to the side of the boot directly above the shank in such manner that a portion extends on each side of the seam a. and end portions are widened, and the screws or rivets, which are preferably used for securing said re-enforce to the boot, pass through said widened portions, as shown. The lower end is secured to the counter by one of the screws. By this means the re-enforce has a firm support, and is better adapted to sustain the bootleg and prevent its bearing down. The middle portion is arranged at a point directly opposite the anklebone, and, being widenedfis better adapted to shield the same from blows The stay B is wider and thicker at its lower end and tapers gradually on its edges and outer side to its upper end, as shown. This puts the strongest parts at the points where the great est strain falls, and at the same time increases the flexibility of the stay.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the boot, of the clastic stay secured to .the side thereof opposite the ankle and gradually diminishing in width and thickness from the lower end to the top, substantially as shown, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WOLFGANG REINDL. ALEXANDER LOTSTROM.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN M. OPSAHL, WIL IAMLEm-IANN.

The middle 

